OTTAWA — After three weeks in rehab for an alcohol addiction and another four out in “the bush” snaring rabbit and hunting partridge — a traditional Northern Quebec Cree diet— NDP MP Romeo Saganash is happy to be back on the job.

The one-time leadership candidate, former Cree leader and residential school survivor who solemnly announced in October that he was taking a break from politics to battle addiction after hitting rock bottom when he was tossed off a plane for being too drunk, returned to Parliament Hill this week in time for his party’s winter strategy session.

“I’m doing very well. Happy to be back,” he said in a candid interview at his Ottawa office Wednesday where he opened up about his addiction and offered some thoughts on Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence and the ongoing aboriginal uprising that’s gripped the nation.

Coy about exactly when alcohol became a problem in his life, he said the decision to enter treatment was his own. It was the first time he chose to deal with the problem this way and he hopes it will be the last.

“When I met with the leader the day I decided to go (into treatment), I looked at him straight in the eyes and I said this will never happen again and I will get help to achieve that,” said Saganash, who plans to resume his international development critic role. “One of the things they teach us is take it one day at a time and that’s what I’ve been doing.”

In his written mea culpa, issued hours after the Air Canada incident came to light, Saganash indicated the leadership race wore him out and that he was still coping with the death of former NDP leader Jack Layton. He also cited his 10 years in residential school among the contributing factors to his addiction.

On Wednesday, he said he has no regrets about entering the leadership race despite his rookie MP status as travelling the country gave him “a better perspective of what this country is all about.” While he thinks his experience in residential school rendered him a “product of a system,” like many fellow aboriginals who also struggle with addiction he also sees some positives that came out of it.

“When I arrived there at six, six-and-a-half-years-old, the only language I spoke and understood was Cree,” he said. “I came out of there with two other languages which was helpful for my people, I guess, in a certain way.”

He remains confident that his 30 years of public service on behalf of Quebec’s Cree, the broader aboriginal population and Canadians in general, speaks for itself and is heartened by the fact that he was able to inspire somebody — a Montreal man he met in treatment who said he sought help after seeing Saganash on television — even at his lowest moment.

One thing that surprised and disappointed him during this ordeal, however, is just how much he missed when he was cut off from the world during his stint at a treatment facility in the Laurentians.

“When I came out of therapy on Nov. 22 I found out that Barack Obama had been re-elected ,” he said, adding his cellphone and camera were confiscated during treatment and he had no access to television or newspapers.

“I also found out that Mayor (Gerald) Tremblay in Montreal had resigned, as well as Mayor (Gilles) Vaillancourt in Laval so regretfully . . . a lot of things happened in my absence.”

The soft-spoken MP also quipped that he was sorry he missed the “quasi-brawl” between Government House Leader Peter Van Loan and NDP House Leader Nathan Cullen who exchanged heated words on the Commons floor over the budget implementation bill just before the end of the last session.

One thing he didn’t miss is the First Nations revolt that’s gained steam over the last few weeks. He believes it’s “an unrest that was bound to happen” and that it could very well be a watershed moment in the relationship between Canada and indigenous people.

He also plans to visit Spence who’s refused to eat solid food for more than a month in protest this week. While concerned about her health, he will wait to see her before deciding whether to add his voice to the chorus of people now calling on her to end her potentially dangerous liquid diet. That said, he credits her and the Idle No More movement for getting “the Prime Minister moving.”

He ultimately believes the key to resolving the many problems facing aboriginals is “political will.” He’s encouraged by the meeting that took place between Stephen Harper and aboriginal chiefs last week and is hopeful the government will stay committed to the process.

“There’s a window of opportunity there to sit down and settle long outstanding issues and unfinished business in this country,” he said, adding he successfully helped champion similar issues in Quebec. “I’m just very excited to arrive at a moment that is so crucial for this country and I’m willing and prepared to contribute to this national dialogue that is starting.”

I cover justice, immigration and public safety issues as part of the Postmedia News politics team. I also keep tabs on what the official Opposition — the NDP — is up to in the House of Commons.
Before... read more coming here I spent several years in Montreal and Toronto with The Canadian Press covering provincial politics and major crime and court stories. I also helped cover the war in Afghanistan from inside and outside the wire.
I previously worked for the Ottawa Sun chasing crime stories and following convicts through the court system.
I love the unpredictability of my job and believe the opportunity to help document history as it unfolds is an awesome privilege that never ceases to give me chills.
I'm also thrilled to be back in Ottawa — my home town.
When not working, I love playing soccer, snowboarding, hitting up a live rock/blues/soul/funk show, indulging in my favourite microbrew with friends or hanging out with my three (not so little anymore) sisters!View author's profile